By: Martin Rand, III
Date: July 13, 2012
There's always competition to see who can "win the off-season." There are no actual games but signing key free agents or finalizing a blockbuster trade could be enough to get the fans, players and city excited about the team's upcoming season. It doesn't mean that the team will perform well; but, at least for the time leading up to the season, players and fans can have some bragging rights.
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| Ray Allen (left) and Rashard Lewis may be just want the Heat need to repeat. |
Below are the teams who have given their fanbase the most optimism for the 2013 season.
Miami Heat
The defending champs have shown that they aren't complacent with just winning one title. The have revamped for next year in two huge ways. First, the addition of Ray Allen, the greatest 3-pt shooter of all-time, to their roster will surely open up the Heat's sometimes stagnant half-court offense. Second, adding Rashard Lewis gives them some versatility with their line-up because he can stretch the floor and can match-up with the three and four position. These two signings will no doubt have the Heat back in contention for the title next season.
New York Knicks
The Knicks had two things on their agenda this free agency: 1) Improve the PG position and 2) Get bigger inside. They accomplished both. The shocking move that brought Jason Kidd to Broadway had everyone stunned. He will obviously play a crucial role in mentoring and grooming Jeremy Lin into a great PG. Then bringing back former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby to come off the bench will give the Knicks one of he best one-two punches at the Center position with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler starting. With the Knicks re-signing J.R. Smith and supposedly matching Lin's offer sheet from the Houston Rockets, expected them to be a force next year.
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| Can Lamar Odom revive his career now that he's back with the Clippers? |
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers had their best winning percentage season in team history last year. No doubt they want to build on that momentum. Trading for Lamar Odom was a huge move. If he can get back to his Sixth Man of the Year form from two years ago, this move could prove to be one of the biggest of the off-season. Also, re-signing Chauncey Billups was big as well. He'll probably be the playmaker for the second unit, which seemed like a fish out of water when Chris Paul wasn't on the court; or, he could play as the starting SG, like he did last season, but with the signing of Jamal Crawford they could start him instead. With Paul, the true MVP from last season, and Blake Griffin, the Clippers will be looking to go much deeper in the playoffs next season.
Brooklyn Nets
With the Nets going from New Jersey to Brooklyn, they had a lot riding on this off-season. They couldn't fail to land a big fish like they did two years ago when LeBron James and other superstars were free agents. They needed to make big splash, and they did just that in acquiring Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks. While Johnson is no superstar, he is a great 3-pt shooter and can create shots for himself off the dribble; and him being on the team proved enough to convince Deron Williams, one of the top five PG in the league, to re-sign with the team after flirting with the idea of playing in his hometown with the Dallas Mavericks. Although the Nets don't quite have the great "Big 3" they wanted (they couldn't finalize a trade with the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard) they do have a good "Medium 4" with Williams, Johnson, Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez. They should be enough to get the Nets back to the playoffs and be real contenders next season.
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